Chapter 41 - 41

"Oh then, what about a house tour?" Tristan suggested.

"Sure," Ava said. They had been studying for a while, and they needed a break.

"Come," Tristan stood up, and Ava followed him.

He showed her the kitchen, it was pretty minimalistic. The dining area was big enough to host large dinners. There were a few empty rooms around the house, they were unfurnished because he did not know what to do with them yet, then he showed her the heirs favorite room in his house. 

Upstairs was Tristan's study, as they went in Ava noticed a wall dedicated to all of Tristan's achievements.

"Wow! You are so talented," Ava praised him.

"See, I told you I was a topper in my class," Tristan said, standing behind Ava.

"I believe you," Ava said and noticed that there was a photo on the study table. She took the photo, it was of a man who looked like the older version of Tristan. Even in the picture, she can tell that the man had a powerful aura that made others listen to him. Next to him was a kid who was smiling brightly, he looked very happy. He was nothing like the person standing before her.

The boy had an innocent look which Tristan had long lost. "Is this you and your father?" Ava asked.

"Yes," Tristan said as his face softened, it looked like he was remembering something good.

"You looked so cute," Ava giggled.

"Well, how do I look now?" Tristan asked playfully.

"Hmm... you look…," Ava stopped in the middle, staring at his face.

"How?" Tristan asked eagerly, wanting Ava to praise him for his looks. He loved Ava so, he wanted to know, whether she appreciated how he looked. Other women would always praise him, yet he felt nothing.

"Uhm… You're still cute," Ava jokingly said. She had stopped feeling awkward with Tristan, he narrowed his eyes.

"Cute? What the hell was that? The puppy was cute, not him. He was a mature man whose looks were compared to a Greek god. Some magazines even gave him the title of Adonis," he thought.

"Take that back," Tristan warned her.

"Hmm okay," Ava pretended that she was going to change her description.

"You are just too cute, and no one can change that," Ava teased.

"You ….," Tristan said, surprised to see this side of Ava. She had always tried to avoid him, and now she was teasing him, he was enjoying this side of her, she was acting of her own free will, and he really liked it.

Tristan started tickling her. "Stop, please," Ava said in between her laughs. He continued to tickle her but stopped when she started running out of breath.

Tristan wrapped his arm around her waist while Ava tried to catch her breath. She looked up and met his eyes, and their gazes locked with each other.

"Tell me I'm handsome," Tristan said in a soft tone.

"You are handsome," Ava was lost in his eyes and told him the truth.

"The most handsome right?" Tristan asked with a smile.

"Uhm-hmm," Ava nodded absentmindedly. A warm feeling crept up Tristan's heart.

Ava's cheeks were red, she was blushing. Tristan had always wanted to pinch her cheeks, and this time he did. 

"Ouch!" Ava rubbed her cheek. She came out of her thoughts and struggled to get out of his arms. He was happy with her response so he loosened his grip on her waist. He did not want to push his luck.

Ava's heartbeat had increased due to their close proximity, she bit her lip and bowed her head down to hide her face.

"Come I will show you the remainder of the house," Tristan said. He saw Ava was feeling shy, and he loved that he can make her feel like this.

Ava looked so lovely while she was blushing, and he did not want anyone else to see it. Ava was his. He feared that he may lose her.

He behaved nonchalantly so that she would not feel awkward. He showed her the rest of the house and stood in front of his bedroom. "This is my room," Tristan said and was about to open the door.

"It's okay, we don't need to go in there," Ava said, hurriedly.

A person's bedroom was the most private room in someone's house. Tristan and Ava were not in a relationship, so she didn't need to see his bedroom. A woman entering a man's room without a proper title was not a good thing.

"Okay," Tristan figured Ava would not be comfortable. But he wanted her to come and see his bedroom, just imagining her in his room made him hard.

He couldn't wait for the day when they officially became a couple.

They went to the garden when the tour was over, there was just green grass everywhere, and not even a flower in sight. "Why haven't you planted any flowers?" Ava asked.

"Well, I'm very busy, and rarely come to the garden," Tristan said, he wasn't really interested in trivial things such as flowers or gardening.

"You should plant some flowers. So that when you are sad, you can look at them, and it can brighten your day," Ava said. Her mother's hobby was gardening, and she would decorate her house with fresh-cut flowers and scented candles. She got used to that warm and cozy environment.

That was the reason why Ava always kept a scented candle in her study table at the dorm. To remind her of home.

"What flowers do you like?" Tristan asked. He wanted to learn more about Ava and all her likes and dislikes. He planned to take care of her in the future, so he wanted everything to suit Ava's taste.

"Red roses," Ava instantly answered. He remembered her blushing cheeks, and it was comparable to Red roses. 

This would be Ava's house in the future, so he wanted to modify everything to her taste.

The next day Tristan had ordered the servants to plant roses in the garden. Who knew, maybe when Ava came to his house the next time, there would be flowers everywhere.